The present invention, the ONYCHOLASER.TM., relates generally to surgical instruments and more specifically to laser microsurgical instruments for use in cutting holes or making photo decomposition (photo etchings) in tissues or membranes, especially the fingernails and toenails.
Prior to the ONYCHOLASER.TM.--a microsurgical laser unit, when the need arose to make holes in fingernails or toenails, they were produced with a mechanical drill or with a heated wire for burning a hole. Drilling or burning of holes is standard treatment for conditions, such as traumatic subungual hematoma (blood collections under the nail after trauma).
Onychomycosis, which affects 8.4% of the population, is a persistent fungal infection of the toenails or fingernails that is unsightly and can affect a patient's quality of life. The fungus grows on the underside of the nail, causing the nail to crack, become brittle, and eventually separate from the nail bed (onycholysis). The condition is worsened in persons who have diabetes or are HIV positive, and is also worsened in many occupational pursuits involving water, moisture or chemicals.
Pharmacological treatment of onychomycosis has been less than optimal, having significant adverse reactions, such as liver or bone destruction. In many cases, a medication must be given for one year or more to be effective, with required blood sample monitoring for adverse affects. Reinfection commonly occurs on discontinuing the medication. Newer medications have shortened the treatment period, but the cost is very expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,058 to Brem, 1979, detailed a method of treating pathological conditions of the nail in which holes were manually drilled and widened with acid. Topical antifungals were applied. This method did not gain popular professional use.
The ONYCHOLASER.TM.--a microsurgical laser unit relates to laser devices, more particularly an apparatus and method of generating controlled multiple laser pulses to treat nail fungal infections.
The cost and reliability of laser systems have improved thereby increasing the applications for such lasers. Accurate, sealed, and permanently aligned components as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,842 to Myers, 1985 improved availability. Also, the concept of substances being applied to the tissue before or during the treatment, these substances being absorbent in the range of the wavelength of the laser beam for increasing absorption as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,902, to Muller, 1992, and as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,141 to Kowalyk, 1994. Surgical procedures on biological tissue may be carried out with the aid of a laser with substances being applied to the tissue before or during the treatment and these substances are absorbent in the range of the wavelength of the laser beam. Tissue removal with pulsed lasers at the eye is also the subject matter of
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,686,979 to Gruen, 1987, and 4,744,360 to Bath, 1988. U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,266 to Kataoka, 1994, provides a medical laser treatment device capable of irradiating a laser beam from the leading end of the hand piece. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,165 to Fountain, 1995, shows a laser beam delivery system whereby steering and scanning of the laser beam is accomplished in a mechanically simple and fast-responding manner. A laser skin perforator, U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,153, issued to Costello, 1996, allows blood letting.
There are several types of commercially available lasers, including argon, ruby, carbon dioxide, krypton and neodymium doped glass end YAG laser rods. YAG lasers may be preferred in certain medical applications and scientific applications because the YAG laser easily produces a short energy pulse with a high peak power.